Mayor: Wait for the facts in shooting

Megan Matteucci

Thursday

Aug 30, 2007 at 6:59 AM

Vigils, rallies and even the appearance of a former presidential candidate, the Rev. Al Sharpton, will not have any effect on the investigation into the fatal police shooting of a Savannah man nearly two weeks ago.

Evidence and witness statements are what will determine the outcome of the investigation, Mayor Otis Johnson and officials with the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department said Wednesday.

"This case is under investigation. We have asked the GBI and State Patrol to come in and look at the evidence," Johnson said. "When they make their report, we will move forward.

"I don't make political hay out of tragedies. Whenever someone is killed, I consider it a tragedy. I'm waiting for the facts, and I'm not prejudging at this point."

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Chatham County District Attorney's Office are helping police investigate the fatal shooting of 23-year-old David Willis. A patrol officer shot Willis on Aug. 18 during a traffic stop.

The shooting has prompted the Willis family to hire a lawyer and turn to national radio stations to defend their deceased loved one. It has caused some residents to question the officer's actions; others question why Willis did not comply with police orders. Throughout the community, residents are talking about how a new father's life ended, but few know about his brushes with the law or the officer's stellar record of service.

A preliminary review of the shooting found McKoon's actions were lawful: Willis was trying to run over the officer with his vehicle when McKoon fired, police spokesman Sgt. Mike Wilson said.

Whether the officer's actions were within SCMPD policy is still under investigation, Wilson said.

Questions about shooting

The Willis family, friends and some members of the black community are calling the shooting "murder." They hope Sharpton's visit will encourage more people to come forward with concerns.

Sharpton is scheduled to arrive in Savannah tonight to speak at a fundraiser for Willis' children.

Community activist Nadra Enzi said he finds the Willis shooting problematic.

"I think it reveals the predictable results of LAPD-style thinking and how it applies to the local community," he said. "I think Savannah's problems need to be brought to the national stage, and Reverend Sharpton is more than able to accomplish that task."

Enzi and several other black citizens have pointed their fingers at Police Chief Michael Berkow, who took over the force in November after almost four years as a deputy police chief in Los Angeles.

This year, two men - both black - have been fatally shot by police.

Advanced Patrol Officer Antonio Taharka was arrested in May in the fatal shooting of Anthony Smashum, who he shot in the back while on duty, police said.

"The question for the political leadership is: Can we have both public safety and equal justice for all?" Enzi said. "With the current leadership, I'm very dubious."

The Rev. Michael Lewis, pastor of Second St. John the Baptist Church, said Sharpton's visit and impending appearance at the church is not meant to point fingers or inflame racial tensions, but to raise money for Willis' 5-month-old daughter and unborn child.

"A lot of people get the wrong impression about Reverend Sharpton," Lewis said. "He fights for anyone, not just people of color. He fights for all injustices."

'Standing up'

Sharpton's spokeswoman confirmed he will be in Savannah but said she did not have details about what he would be discussing.

Alderman Van Johnson said he did not know about the Sharpton event but had heard concerns about the Willis shooting from residents.

"We have wisely asked the GBI, an external agency, to conduct a thorough investigation. Until that investigation is complete to establish what the facts really are, I don't know what happened," he said. "I trust that when the facts are known, we will act appropriately one way or another."

Last week, Holis Mitchell, a friend of Willis, helped organize a vigil in Hitch Village, which attracted about 200 people. After the vigil, dozens of black citizens came up to him to express fear about the police in Savannah, he said.

"I got little homeboys in my neighborhood who say they are so scared of the police, who say they are not going to stop for police at night unless they get in front of someone," Mitchell said. "I don't know if he (Berkow) told them (officers) to use the California rule of kill first and talk later. I'm glad Reverend Al Sharpton is standing up."

Racial comments about police in Savannah are nothing new, the mayor said. He said he "always advises his citizens to look at the pros and cons and then act sensibly."

The mayor said he has a prior commitment and will not be attending the Sharpton event.

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